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Why Lunch Breaks Are Important to Your Mental Health and Well-being

July 10, 2018 | by Dan Black

It's easy to wolf down a pre-packaged sandwich at your desk, taking a total of about 3 minutes for your daily lunch and working the whole way through, but is that really the best way to do things? Not only do those ready meals contain a whole lot of salt and fat, which is terrible if you want to maintain normal cholesterol levels (click herefor more information on that), but it can also be damaging to your mental health and wellbeing. Not giving yourself the time off for lunch may be causing you to suffer more than you know.

Why People Don’t Take Lunch Breaks

A lot of employees are skipping lunch breaks for a number of reasons. They don’t want to make proper food, they don’t think they can spare the time or they simply don’t want to leave their desk. We’re a nation of hard workers, but it’s costing us.

How Taking a Lunch Break Helps

By not taking your hour to get up and away from your desk to enjoy some proper, nourishing food, you’re missing out on a whole wealth of benefits.

For example, contrary to what a lot of employees believe, taking your lunch break will actually improve your productivity. There are a load of studies out there showing that, without regular breaks, productivity and focus can quickly taper off, and without a decent lunch break you’ll begin to struggle to work around mid-afternoon.

It’ll also help you to move around more and, if you can get outside, get some of that all-important vitamin D. Both of these things are wonderful for both your physical health and mental wellbeing. By taking a packed lunch and heading out to the park every day, you’ll be doing yourself a lot of good.

You can also get a chance to bond with your other employees, taking time out of your day to head out for lunch and talking about something other than work. Once you start doing this, you’ll realise what a welcome break it is from around-the-clock work chat, and you might just make some great friends, too!

How to Take a Better Lunch Break

To make sure you’re making the most of your lunch every day, don’t eat at your desk. It’s important to get up and away from your work area, giving your mind time to really switch off.

Bring a packed lunch full of nutritious, energising foods that’ll help you work throughout the afternoon and promote normal cholesterol levels. If you can, try and get outside somewhere and go for a little walk before or after you eat.

Take the time to tune out of work, relax and get some fresh air. Trust us, it won’t be long before you start feeling the benefits of taking your lunch break more seriously!